In a recent development, the Federal Aviation Administration has issued an order to U.S. airlines, instructing them to temporarily halt the use of certain Boeing 737 Max 9 planes. This directive comes in the wake of a concerning incident where one of these planes experienced a significant structural issue mid-flight, causing panic among passengers. Thankfully, the aircraft managed to land safely.
Passengers aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 recounted a disconcerting ordeal during the 20-minute journey, as the plane, originally bound for Ontario, Calif., was forced to return to Portland International Airport in Oregon on Friday night. Amidst the chaos, a strong gust of wind rushed through a large opening, revealing the dark sky and the twinkling lights of the city below, while yellow oxygen masks hung above their heads. All passengers on the plane escaped without any serious injuries.
During the flight, a passenger named Vi Nguyen from Portland was startled awake by a loud noise. Upon observation, a significant breach was noticed on the exterior of the aircraft.
“I open up my eyes and the first thing I see is the oxygen mask right in front of me,” Ms. Nguyen, 22, said. “And I look to the left and the wall on the side of the plane is gone.”
“The first thing I thought was, ‘I’m going to die,’” she added.
Approximately 171 planes will be impacted by the F.A.A.’s order.
The cause of the incident has not been publicly discussed by the F.A.A. However, in the grounding order issued to the airlines, they requested an inspection of a component referred to as a “mid cabin door plug.” Certain Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft have been equipped with a reduced number of seats, resulting in a decreased requirement for the plane’s original complement of emergency exits. The unnecessary exits are sealed with a plug.
Alaska Airlines has confirmed that it has begun inspecting the door plugs and has cleared 18 of its 65 Max 9s to resume service, according to a statement released on Saturday afternoon. The airline anticipates finishing the inspections within the coming days.
According to Forrest Gossett, a representative from Spirit AeroSystems, the company has confirmed the installation of door plugs on the Max 9s. Additionally, Spirit has also installed the plug on the Alaska Air flight.
According to Cirium, an aviation data provider, United Airlines currently operates a total of 79 Max 9s, which is the highest number among all airlines. Alaska’s fleet is made up of about one-fifth of its 65 aircraft.
“Safety will continue to drive our decision-making,” the agency’s administrator, Mike Whitaker, said in a statement. The F.A.A. is working with the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading an investigation into the Alaska flight.
On Saturday, United Airlines announced that it will temporarily halt the operation of specific Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft in response to the F.A.A.’s directive. According to a statement from the airline, out of the 79 Max 9s currently in service, 33 have already undergone inspection. The airline stated that approximately 60 flights were expected to be canceled on Saturday due to the planes being taken out of service.
“We are working directly with impacted customers to find them alternative travel options,” the airline said in statement.
According to the F.A.A., the inspections are expected to take approximately four to eight hours per plane to complete.
Boeing issued a statement shortly after the F.A.A.’s grounding order. “Safety is our top priority and we deeply regret the impact this event has had on our customers and their passengers,” Jessica Kowal, a spokeswoman for Boeing, said in the statement. “We agree with and fully support the F.A.A.’s decision to require immediate inspections of 737-9 airplanes with the same configuration as the affected airplane.”
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